The present invention relates to apparatus and systems for use in semiconductor manufacturing equipment, i.e., fluid control apparatus and gas treatment systems comprising the apparatus, and more particularly to integrated fluid control apparatus which are so assembled that the fluid control components thereof can be individually removed upward for maintenance or inspection, and also to gas treatment systems having the apparatus incorporated therein.
The terms xe2x80x9cfront,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9crear,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9cupperxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9clowerxe2x80x9d as used herein have the following meanings. The term xe2x80x9cfrontxe2x80x9d refers to the right-hand side of FIG. 2, and the term xe2x80x9crearxe2x80x9d to the left-hand side of the same. The terms xe2x80x9cupperxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9clowerxe2x80x9d refer respectively to the upper and lower sides of FIG. 2(a), and the terms xe2x80x9cleftxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9crightxe2x80x9d are used for the apparatus as it is seen from the front rearward. These terms are used for convenience sake; the apparatus may be used as reversed with respect to the longitudinal direction, or as laid on its side.
Fluid control apparatus for use in semiconductor manufacturing equipment comprise a plurality of rows of various fluid control devices, and the fluid control devices of adjacent rows have their fluid channels interconnected by connecting means at specified locations. With such fluid control apparatus, massflow controllers, on-off valves and other components are connected together for integration without using tubes in recent years (see, for example, JP-A No. 9-29996 (1997). FIG. 18 is a plan view showing such an example of apparatus. The illustrated fluid control apparatus has five lines P1, P2, P3, P4, P5 having no bypass channel, and three lines Q1, Q2, Q3 each having a bypass channel, i.e., eight lines in total. The lines P1, P2, P3, P4, P5 having no bypass line each comprise a massflow controller 91, on-off valve 92 disposed at the inlet side thereof with a filter 93 interposed therebetween, and on-off valve 94 disposed at the oulet side of the contoller. The bypass-equipped lines Q1, Q2, Q3 each comprise a massflow controller 91, two on-off valves 95, 96 provided at the inlet side thereof with a filter 93 interposed between the controller and the valve 95, two on-off valves 97, 98 provided at the outlet side of the controller, and a bypass pipe 99 having an on-off valve 99a and interconnecting a connector at the inlet side of the controller 91 and a connector at the outlet side thereof. The fluid control apparatus is assembled by fastening coupling members (not shown) such as block couplings to a substrate 100 with screws first, and subsequently mounting each of fluid control devices 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, such as massflow controller, filter and on-off valves, generally on two of these coupling members. Since the bypass pipes 99 are provided in parallel to the main portions of the bypass-equipped lines Q1, Q2, Q3, the provision of the bypass pipes 99 for the three lines Q1 to Q3 requires a space for the three lines.
Fluid control apparatus of the type mentioned are used for gas treatment systems, for example, for conducting treatment with plasma, etching or forming films by CVD.
In the case of the conventional fluid control apparatus described, the individual fluid control devices can be removed upward for inspection, repair or replacement, whereas full consideration has not been given to installation of additional lines and modifications of lines. Accordingly, when there arises a need to modify the system, the components required anew are mounted on a panel for the substitution of the panel assembly, but this gives rise to the problem of entailing the shutdown of the system for a long period of time or an increase in the number of work steps at the site of installation. The conventional fluid control apparatus further has the problem of necessitating an increased overall space for installation since the space for the installation of the bypass-equipped lines is greater than that for the line having no bypass channels, and the problem that the size of the substrate needs to be altered depending on the number of bypass-equipped lines.
In view of the situation, it has become important that fluid control apparatus of the type described be adapted to readily fulfill the need to install additional lines or modify the existing lines.
Further when the gas treatment system comprising the conventional fluid control apparatus and as adapted, for example, for etching a silicon dioxide film is to be used for a different substance, e.g., for etching polysilicon, there is a need to additionally use a gas of the chlorine type. In this case, it is necessary to completely disassemble the fluid control apparatus and to fabricate an apparatus anew. If it is attempted to modify the fluid control apparatus or to add components thereto in the existing gas treatment system, it is not easy to remove, disassemble or modify the fluid control apparatus or add components thereto at the limited site of use as in a clean room, consequently seriously shortening the operation hours.
An object of the present invention is to provide an integrated fluid control apparatus which is readily adapted for additional provision of lines or modification of existing lines, and a gas treatment system having such a fluid control apparatus incorporated therein.
The present invention provides a fluid control apparatus comprising a plurality of lines arranged in parallel on a substrate and having outlets oriented in the same direction, each of the lines comprising a plurality of fluid control devices arranged at an upper level and a plurality of coupling members arranged at a lower level, said lines including specified lines connected to one another by channel communication means, the fluid control apparatus being characterized in that each of the lines is removably attached to the substrate by a plurality of brackets, the channel communication means being removable upward.
With the fluid control apparatus of the present invention, each of the lines is removably attached to the substrate by a plurality of brackets, with the channel communication means made removable upward, so that lines can be additionally installed merely by upwardly removing the channel communication means when so required, thereafter attaching the lines to be added to the substrate, and finally installing in place the channel communication means required for the addition. Further lines can be changed merely by upwardly removing the channel communication means as required, thereafter removing the old lines to be changed, attaching the lines to be substituted to the substrate, and finally installing in place the channel communication means required for the change. Thus, lines can be added or changed with ease.
Preferably, a manifold block coupling disposed at the lower level for connecting at least three of the lines is provided on at least one of inlet side and outlet side and attached to the substrate by a bracket. The plurality of lines can then be connected by a simplified arrangement to render the fluid control apparatus easy to assemble or modify.
Preferably, the manifold block coupling is provided with at least one line adding branch channel having an opening closed with a closing member. An additional line can then be provided merely by removing the closing member and connecting a corresponding member of the new line to the branch channel of the manifold block coupling. This facilitates addition of line or lines or modification of the fluid control apparatus.
Preferably, the lines are lines having no bypass channel and lines each having a bypass channel, and the bypass-equipped lines each have a bypass pipe for connecting an inlet side of a specified fluid control device to an outlet side thereof above the fluid control device. The lines having no bypass channel and the bypass-equipped lines can then be given the same width. This assures facilitated modification, further serving to diminish the space to be occupied by the fluid control apparatus.
It is desired that the fluid control apparatus be used in gas treatment systems such as plasma treatment systems. The gas treatment system can then be modified easily in accordance with alterations in the specifications to suppress the factors that would shorten the operation hours of the system.